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LargeSporting Group

English Setter

The English Setter was developed in 17th-century England as a bird dog for 'setting' — crouching near game ahead of nets or shot.

Calculate English Setter age
Lifespan13.1 yrrange 12–14
SizeLargeSporting Group
Weight45–80 lb20.4–36.3 kg
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10

Gallery (3)

About

About the English Setter

The English Setter was developed in 17th-century England as a bird dog for 'setting' — crouching near game ahead of nets or shot. Modern show and field lines diverge sharply, with show dogs carrying heavier feathering and bone.

Aging

How English Setters age

RVC VetCompass places median lifespan at 13.1 years (n=834). Hypothyroidism at 23.5% on OFA screens is among the highest recorded for any sporting breed; elbow dysplasia (11.2%) and congenital hearing loss variants are also elevated.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 13.1 yr · range 12–14Senior careSenior at 6 · geriatric at 10Common health issues5 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
45–80 lb(20.4–36.3 kg)
Height
23–27 in(58.4–68.6 cm)
Coat type
Long
Colors
Blue BeltonBlue Belton & Tan (Tri-Color)Lemon BeltonLiver BeltonOrange BeltonWhite
Temperament

Temperament

How English Setters tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

mellowsociablegentleactive
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • High prevalencetypical onset ~5 yr

    Hypothyroidism

    Description and veterinary guidance for Hypothyroidism land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
45min
per day

English Setters are satisfied by around 45 minutes of daily activity (energy level 3/5). Short, regular outings beat one long session.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.